The Cherry Blossom Chapters
by Kharass
Summary: Tsukiyama reminisces about past conversations he has had with Kaneki. He details his favorites in a book he keeps on his person at all times. These are some of the entries in the book.
1. Chapter 1

Beams of light had barely broke over the horizon as Tsukiyama made his way across the park grass to his favorite bench. He sat down on the far right side, crossed his legs and produced a small, compact purple book from his coat. He placed it on his lap, covered with slender hands and closed his eyes.

Tsukiyama inhaled deeply, appreciating the bite in his lungs from the frigid air. It reminded him of home, where the mornings always took your breath away and left you struggling for warmth. It wasn't a pleasant feeling to many, and even Tsukiyama had memories of cursing the cold most mornings, but in Tokyo, so far away from his native land, even the dismal things of his homeland seemed to fill him with longing.

He looked down at the book in his lap. Though small in size, it had many pages, and was well worn around the edges. The cover was blank, and that bothered Tsukiyama. Books had titles, fancy illustrations or emboldened names. Certainly, a book written by a being of his nature would have all of these things but Tsukiyama understood how the contents of this book must remain secret, so for that reason alone he was discreet.

The sun rose gradually, the rays lapping lazily against his face as the day began. His frigid hands warmed somewhat in the sun, and he opened his eyes, taking in the cherry trees that were stripped bare of their flowers. Trees were very important things to Tsukiyama; like him, they represented the duality of the Ghoul.

Tsukiyama opened the book and withdrew a pen from his jacket pocket; he began to write about another day he had been sitting on this bench.

"Trees are like ghouls, Kaneki-ken."

"…Trees, Tsukiyama-san? How so?"

He smiled, savoring Kaneki's question.

"We are, literally speaking, the paragon of man. As Ghouls, we have evolved into a race that mankind will never be able to compete with. Our physical prowess coupled with Kagune have eliminated the strength disparity between genders and unified our races. Tell me, what sort of strength do the CCG possess? Where does their greatest strength lie?"

"The only time I have ever seen Ghouls killed is by Kagune."

"So by extension?"

"I see what you're saying. The CCG's greatest strength stems from their quinque, which is a Kagune harvested from a ghoul. So their true strength is in numbers and their ability to adapt to their opponent."

Tsukiyama smiled, the right corner of his mouth stretching nearly to his ear in pleasure.

"I see you take your education seriously, Kaneki-ken. Yes, the CCG lacks the ability to construct weapons capable of destroying a Ghoul without the useage of a Ghoul, or rather, a Kagune. True, their guns may be enough to handle weaker Ghouls that stumble across their path, but the reality is that even with the assistance of their archaic technology they do not have the ability to eradicate Ghouls from society. Even if the Doves are successful and catch the Aogiri tree and all the Ghouls at your precious coffee shop, Ghouls will persevere in Tokyo. Throughout the world."

Tsukiyama leaned towards Kaneki. "We are everywhere, Kaneki. We are functioning members of this society, and have been for some time now. My own family is responsible for much of the restoration done to my homeland after the Great War. Granted, we have poor organizational skills." He chuckled. "But we are territorial beings by nature, you see? I am not an aberrant among my kind; I'm simply a product of my environment."

"You're saying humans are helpless before Ghouls? Innately? That hardly justifies their slaughter. Humans have liv-"

"They use us for parts! They harvest our organs and then kill our friends and family with them! Where is the humanity in that? We are trees, Kaneki. Useful only for the resource we yield, not the blossoms on our branches."

"You think the human struggle to eradicate Ghouls from the world is...for nothing? Because Ghouls are simply better?"

Tsukiyama stood suddenly, as if recalling a sudden appointment. "I don't think so Kaneki."

He smiled sweetly in Kaneki's direction. "I know. I feast on human flesh. My very being is fueled by humanity's demise."

"You are a pestilence then. A plague upon society."

"We, Kaneki."

Kaneki rose suddenly, and approached Tsukiyama with a level gaze. "Do not lump me with your lot. I may be a Ghoul, but you are something else entirely."

Tsukiyama giggled. "I'm glad you think so Kaneki-ken."

Behind his relaxed stance and calm demeanor, agitation arose, and manifest itself as fire in Kaneki's eyes. Tsukiyama reveled in his passion.

"You cannot deny you are fundamentally different from humans now. You possess Kagune."

"I possess an extra organ, that makes me inhuman?"

"You feast on human flesh Kaneki. You can never be anything other than a monster now."

Silence reigned over the park. Kaneki looked off into the distance, and his gaze seemed to soften at the sight of the playground.

He stepped close. At this distance, Tsukiyama could smell Kaneki's hair; gone were the coffee grounds and cherry blossoms, now sweat and grit assailed Tsukiyama's senses.

"I do not quite know what I am anymore Tsukiyama-san." he answered, glancing down and shuffling his feet. "But I do know we look, speak, act, and feel all the same things. And, if we could, we would live lives identical to theirs. What are we if not human?"

Kaneki had left him speechless that day. Their relationship had taken an academic turn of late; leading a personal crusade against the Aogiri Tree and protecting the Ghouls of Anteiku, while time consuming, gave Tsukiyama more time with his friend. The overprotective old man was no longer covering for Kaneki, and Touka seemed to have finally gone her separate way too.

Tsukiyama was relieved as he closed his book and returned it to his jacket pocket. He glanced at the sun; it hung high above him. Kaneki would be there soon for their regular meeting. He leaned back on the park bench, pulling from his pocket his most treasured possession, and breathed deeply the scent of succulence.


	2. Chapter 2

Tsukiyama fluttered his eyes to shake the snowflakes off his lashes; he hadn't noticed them begin to fall. He glanced about the empty park was glad for no prying eyes. Hours on the bench lying in snow had encased his body in a comical picturesque of a snowman; not typical human behavior, although Tsukiyama was not the least bit concerned with the snow that fell about him. Winter in Tokyo was, while admittedly different in some aspects from his homeland, ultimately the same to his crystalline Ghoul skin. Warmth was felt only through the blood vessels that flowed down his throat. Oftentimes he would fall into deep thought, ruminating upon his past and delving into his mind to flush out the memories of his youth. In his eyes, Tsukiyama did not truly begin his life before he came to Tokyo. On several occasions during his youth, Tsukiyama had split his wrist and let the current dribble down the length of his forearm and drip into his mouth, seeking some relief from the hunger that was never slaked. He recalled the day he had been found in the rose garden by his father, drinking his own blood.

Mirumo rubbed his hands to keep them warm as he quickly made his way through the manor grounds towards the garden. The beautiful scenery offered by the German landscape was all that kept him in his homeland. Mirumo had always been a slight child and was more comfortable in libraries witnessing the majesty of winter fall onto the ground, not into his lap.

Mirumo spotted his son where he knew he would; bare-chested in the rose garden surrounded by books and covered in blood. The sight made him smile. Shuu was a man unto himself, and held no reservations for any other than his family. Mirumo created the paradise he had always wanted for his Ghoul child; a Garden of Eden where only God could judge his son.

"Such a thirsty boy. I've never seen a hunger like yours." He placed his hand on Tsukiyama's wrist. "Come, there is a meal far more fit for you inside."

Murimo lead him inside and chided him in soft spoken tones while servants, ghosts to the residents of the manor, meekly bustled white plates off an oak table. His father waved his hand and they were gone.

"Come, sit beside me. There is something we must discuss."

Interest was plain on Tsukiyama's face as he pulled a chair up to the head of the table; his father was not a man for idle chitchat and certainly not one to worry about the ears of servants, ears that Tsukiyama liked to think he owned.

As Tsukiyama sat, his father polished his spectacles with a handkerchief drawn from his robe. His white hair was silvered in the candlelight, and while age had begun to settle into his skin there were no lines of laughter or worry etched upon his face; a slate unmarred by the emotions of human strife.

"Here." Mirumo proffered. "The Earl of Cottingham was kind enough to make a donation on his last visit. Royal O Negative, your favorite."

"You spoil me papa."

"It's my pleasure Shuu."

As they sipped in silence Tsukiyama smiled darkly into his cup. The Earl was a common guest of the manor and handled most Western business for the Tsukiayama group. While business with the Earl had been profitable, he had yet to pay his respects to the family. "I will do business with you Mirumo Tsukiyama, but I will not indulge in your kind's sacrilegious endeavors."

Mirumo had smiled. "Your consent was never a term of our agreement."

Tsukiyama was proud of his father. Mirumo was an especially extravagant man prone to eccentric actions and risky gambles. Few Ghouls wished to see one's own kin held in high regard amongst the kind who prosecuted them so strongly, but Mirumo instilled a deep sense of belonging in his children, wishing them to be treated in the same manner as humans.

"Tomorrow, you leave for Tokyo."

Tsukiyama could scarcely hide his pleasure. Japan had the highest concentration of Ghouls of any country in the world. He had argued long hours with his father on many occasions growing up, advocating for moving the Tsukiyama group to Japan to be amongst peers, not hiding amongst humans.

"Papa you will not regret this, I will make a name for Tsukiyama in Japan. I have some ideas for who should be brought along, especially-"

Mirumo peered at Shuu over his glasses. "You will be going alone, Shuu."

Tsukiyama grinned. "I had assumed a test would be necessary to prove myself. But why tomorrow? I still have studies to finish here in Germany."

"You will finish your education in Tokyo, and you will not be coming back."

"Papa, I-"

"Listen , Shuu." Mirumo sighed deeply. Silence hung between them as Tsukiyama waited for his father to speak.

"We are not the same Shuu. As you know, I have always struggled to give this family some semblance of humanity."

"Papa, we are not-"

"Just listen Shuu. I have always strove to give this family the lifestyle they deserve while the rest of the world has mocked my efforts. Our name is not unknown to Ghoul society, but it is mocked."

"By humans?"

"By Ghouls."

Confusion settled on Tsukiyama's face. "I don't understand."

Mirumo began to refill Tsukiyama's glass, his own left untouched. "I raised you differently than those who call themselves 'Ghoul' in Tokyo. You were, by human and ghoul standards, raised as a human. If not for your appetite I believe you would never have desired to flee to Tokyo and begin this ridiculous crusade."

"My appetite is to blame for my desire to see the world? To witness life outside the confines of my father's compound?"

"Your desires are not limited to adventure. Or at least not adventure of the explorative nature."

"You mock my efforts to make us great?" Tsukiyama snarled.

Mirumo sipped from his glass. "This family was great before you graced it with your presence."

Tsukiyama crushed his glass in his hand; shards tinkled lightly to the floor and the Earl's blood drenched his first. "Has my presence contributed nothing? You have preened and pampered me to prepare me for the role of your replacement, the nepotistic successor to your grand empire!"

"Your upbringing was only my best to give you the life I thought you would have wanted. You may not know this Shuu, but most Ghouls are jealous of the human way of life. Tell me, how would Ghouls live if the human threat was eliminated? What would our lifestyle be then?" Murimo sighed. "The Tsukiyama Group is known to the humans as an upstanding billion-dollar conglomerate, and throughout Ghoul society as a sellout. We were branded traitors." Mirumo looked directly into Tsukiyama's eyes. "We are undesired by our kind due to my efforts to keep my family safe. I constructed this empire and 'preened' you, as you put it, not so you could oversee my profits in my final days, but to leave to you when the time came."

Mirumo stood and gestured towards the Victorian staircase winding up the tallest parapet. "Come, I have something to show you."

Tsukiyama crumbled glass shards in his hand as he followed his father up the stairs, thoughts racing. His name, his legacy, all things associated with Tsukiyama…were treasonous? His ascension slowed as he ruminated on the past. His father was not the man he was, and he could never be. The compassion he felt for Tsukiyama had made him weak; Mirumo would never be able to raise the Tsukiyama Group in the eyes of Ghouls. If his mother hadn't died, his father would have been a different man.

Tsukiyama bowed his head as he followed his father, happy for the silence that hung over them. He never knew his mother. Tsukiyama's hunger had been great even in the womb, and on the eighth month he devoured her alive. No matter how his father raised him, he was a monster before birth.

"Here we are. It's been some time since you've visited the West Wing, hasn't it?" Metal clinked as Mirumo fished for keys in his pocket. "I sealed it not long after your birth. Your mother and I used to sleep here. She thought it was romantic; lovers living in the tallest tower of their castle." He chuckled softly. "The climb is still the same though."

The staircase leveled out to a short hallway leading to a red door adorned with candelabra. When his mother had been alive, Mirumo lived with her in the West wing tower. Since her death the wing had been closed, but the years had torn away at Mirumo's heart and he eventually reopened the tower as his personal study. It was the first time Tsukiyama had made the climb up the tower steps.

"I think you misunderstand my intentions Shuu." Mirumo pushed slightly on the door and it swung silently inwards. "I am not sending you to Tokyo to be rid of you, so you must perish the thought."

A sharp retort rose from Tsukiyama's mouth but the sight of the tower room froze him still. It was empty, save for a centered stone island. On top was a lantern with an unlit wick encased in what appeared to be silver. Inscribed on a small plaque at its base was a name, "Kaiya."

"Your mother was taken to a hospital as soon as you could be cut from her womb. I thought if there was some human medicine that could at least stop her bleeding I would be able to find flesh and save her." Mirumo pinched his brow. "It was a last resort, but I should've known better. Doves were alerted immediately and it took everything just to escape with my life."

Tsukiyama felt his face beginning to crumble. "Papa, please. I'm sorry…I…I will leave, I will leave now. I would have left the day I was born…" He clutched his forehead with his fist and leaned against the doorframe. "I'm so sorry Papa, I loved her I swear…I would have loved her Papa, I swear I would have loved her as much as you."

Mirumo grasped his son tightly by the shoulders. "It's not your fault Shuu." Tsukiyama folded in his father's arms.

"You should've killed me!" He shrieked pounding his father's chest. "I ate her like a beast! Like a monster! It doesn't matter if I'm her son, I'm a monster."

Mirumo clutched his son in his arms. "How many times must I tell you I want you? I want you here, in my life, living with me."

"But I killed her Papa! I killed Mom…" Tsukiyama gave hiccupped laugh. "It doesn't even sound right when it comes out of my mouth. I have no right to call her Mom."

"Do you think she didn't know she would die? Kaiya felt your teeth pierce her flesh countless times during your pregnancy; she always knew how hungry you were. Your mother wanted you to live Shuu. To exist in this world the way you were."

"I am an abnormality even among ghouls. You wouldn't send me to Tokyo because even there I would not be accepted. This paradise you have created for your son will be his grave."

"Shuu-"

"No father, I understand. What else could you do but-"

Fists suddenly rained down on Tsukiyama's head. "You stupid child!" Mirumo swung wildly, his slight frame shaking with fury. "Do you think your mother did not love you? Do you think she did not want to die for her son? Your mother was beautiful, and full of love... "Mirumo sobbed and clutched Tsukiyama's head to his own. "Don't you dare mock her death with the idea that you killed her; she gladly died so you could live. She died so you could live Shuu, because she loved you son. She wanted her boy to live. She died so my son could live."

Mirumo held his son tightly in the doorframe. His tears rolled down his cheeks and pattered onto Tsukiyama's hair. "You know Shuu, I never once blamed you. Not for a second my son."

"Your love buries me Papa."

Mirumo dried his eyes and wiped his glasses. His mustache was, for the first time since Tsukiyama had known him, in disarray. Tsukiyama couldn't help but smile at the sight. Few ever see past the façade a man makes, and Tsukiyama knew he would never see this side of his father again.

"You are going to Tokyo. I believe you will blossom there. The years seem to have worn away at the wisdom I once had. But I have seen for myself how little effect on society my efforts have had; undesired by humans, no matter our allowances." Mirumo laughed. "Offered the solution by my son for years and I never listened. Very well Shuu. I shall indulge in your gory fantasy for the Tsukiyama Group."

Mirumo retrieved the lantern from the island and wordlessly offered it to his son. Tsukiyama took the lantern, noticing upon closer inspection that the wick appeared to be gold and segmented into twelve pieces. A silver ring marked each hour.

"When the doves took your mother they were amazed by the energy emitted by her kagune. For the last eight moths your mother had been feeding for more than two Ghouls and her power had grown immensely. After they killed her they harvested her kagune and created this. As soon as word reached my ear of what had been done I dispatched the doves responsible immediately. This is a quinque."

"Papa-"

A fierce light leapt into Mirumo's eyes and he stepped close to his son. "You are strong Shuu. You are hungry. You desire this world and everything in it. No one will give you anything. Not a penny or an inch. If you want this life, then you must take it." He gestured towards the lantern in Tsukiyama's hand. "Your mother's power was great. I am sure she would have wanted it to be yours."

Mirumo cupped his sons chin and peered into his eyes. "Eat."


End file.
